Local & General

Chronicle (Levin), 10 February 1948, Page 4

Local & General

One For Mr. Ripley A Levin fishing enthusiast who had patiently tried to catch schnapper off Waitarere Beach for the past week, was strolling down the beach on Saturday night when he was amazed to see one come rolling ashore on a wave. Finding it to be quite fresh and thinking it might have escaped • from someone's line, hi took it home. His surprise can be imagined when, on cutting off its head, he found a sixinch sole tightly . curled up in the schnapper's gullet. Apparently it had attempted to swallow the sole and choked itselt.in the attempt. Maize Growing by Maoris During the 1946-47- season, Maori growers planted 1000 acres of maize that would not •have been grown under ordinary bircumstances. The target in the Aid fpr Britain cam-r paign is 12,000 dcres, an area not approached since 1920, when 12,181 acres were planted. The largest area in maize during the wai* was 16,896 acres planted in the 1940-41 season. Because of conditions peculiar to maize-growing by the* Maoris, their recent efforts represent a real Anancial sacrifl.ee. ' Registration of Painters Provision for the registration of all painters will be sought by the N.Z. Master Painters, Decorators and Signwriters Association. This was decided at the annual conference which opened at Dunedin yesterday. The Bill has been prepared and this "will be submitted to' the Painters U-nion for support before the proposal is put to the legislature„ The registration of painters, it is explained, will put the trade .in line With similar requrements of other trades. Rotary Clpb Meets The Levin Rotary Club's wpekly luncheon was held yesterday, when the guest speakei" was Rev. A. W. Armstrong, who has come to Levin to reside -in reti'rement. His sub'ject, "Irislr Wit and Humour," had .Jinemb.ers-.simm«ri'iig witflvmlttir-4is stories were recounted of instances of spontaneous humour he had encountered 'during his earlier life in Ireland.. The chairman of the council of the Galloway Cattle Society of Great Brjtain, Mr. A. Dunoan, was also the guest of the club. Prices For Liquor An investigation of the prices charged for Aeer and other liquors will be made by the Price Trib'uhal at public sittipgs. to be held, possibly after Easter, The investjgation will be 'made oij tbe jnitiative of the Price Trjbunal. dudge Hunter, president of ihe tribuhg.1, has confirmed that the sittings will be held. As q result of comments made by the Royal Commissiprj 011 Lieensing in its report to Parliament last year, the tribunal is expected to mahe a thorqugh investigation of many aspects of liquor saies. World's Shape and Size . United States astronomers are making the most exhaustive preparations in astronomical history in the hope of finding- the precise shape and size of the world by observing an eclipse of the sun which will sweep in a 5320=-mile arc across the- world from South^east Asia to the western tip of Nortfl America on May 8. The exact shape and size of the world is still one of the most stubborn unsolved scientific questions. Seven expedE tions are now trainjng to take up stations in Burma, Siam, China, Korea, Japan and the Aleutians •under the aus£>ices of the National Goograpflieal Society. It is hoped that their observations will enable relatjve positions pn the earth's siirface to be pin^pointed to within 150 feet or less.

Why They Left Britain Among the passehgers in the Rangitata, which arrived at Wellington yesterday, was a New Zealander returning with his wife •after 13 years' absence. He explained his return from "Britain thus: "As long as potatoes were pff the ration we could h'ave a good meal, but when they were ratione.d we just had to leave. Fencing Wire New ^ealaud is recqiving 25 per Cent. Qf Britain's export production qf fencing wire, ih spite of the fact that Brjtajn's wire production is oniy flaif the pre-war tonnage, Although this • quantity of fencing wire dpes not compietely meet the needs 0f Now Zealand, Britain. is ti'eating- this Dominion favourably because our f arm prpducts are so essential. Olympic Games S ealing New Zealand's ailotment of seats fop the' -Olympic Games had been applied for, and no further ffpplications would be received, Mr. H Apos. secreta?y of the New Zealand Olympic Games Association, stated tpday, He added that he had made appiication for additidnai seats so vhat those beyond the Dominioivs ailocatiqn might qbtain accpmmodation, byt he was not qptimistic, as counti'ies all oyer tfie world were _ asking for ejf'tra seats, and Bntam alofle was quite capabie of flfling tne accommodation available at Wembley. : -